Blatter again apologises for offensive comment on racism in football

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - President Sepp Blatter of world soccer's governing body, FIFA, has again apologised for his comments downplaying racism in football.

Blatter got himself into trouble after saying that racist slurs on the field could be sorted out with a handshake after the match.

The comments infuriated many around the world, and even forced a British football official to call for Blatter's resignation.

In an interview with a Swiss newspaper, Aargauer Zeitung, posted on the FIFA official website, the 75-year-old Swiss said, however, that he was completely misunderstood.

''I have been passionately campaigning against racism and any kind of discrimination for years. FIFA is strongly committed in this regard. In any case, I apologise to everyone who was offended by my comments and I remain fully committed to fighting against these evils,'' Blatter said.

The FIFA President has already received support from the South Africa Football Association (SAFA), which asked the world to forgive him (Blatter) over the comments.

Meanwhile, In the meantime, Blatter has reiterated his plan to step down in 2015, when he would have spent 41 years in FIFA.

Before then, however, he says he has two goals: ''The first of these is to make the game more than just a game, but a valuable part of society. And the second is to recast the now tarnished image of FIFA and its President, which is my duty.''